Man dies in Tennessee church shooting
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., July 27 (UPI) -- A man died in Sunday's church massacre in Tennessee when he stood in front of a gunman who fired on congregation members, a witness said.
Greg McKendry was the only immediate death in the incident at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, the Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel reported.
"Greg McKendry stood in the front of the gunman and took the blast to protect the rest of us," witness Barbara Kemper said.
Capt. Brent Seymour, a spokesman for the Knoxville Fire Department, said police had a suspect in custody, CNN reported.
Church members said the attack occurred as children were performing "Annie the Musical" as part of the congregation's summer theater workshop.
Knoxville's WBIR-TV reported only six of the injured individuals suffered gunshot wounds in the attack. The seventh injury victim only suffered an ankle injury, the TV station said.
The TV station added that no children were thought to have been hurt and two of the hospitalized victims may be serious condition.
Knoxville's WVLT-TV said the gunman may have been restrained by members of the congregation following the shooting spree.
Olmert said to blast Bush on Iran
JERUSALEM, July 27 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has written to U.S. President George Bush complaining about U.S. rapprochement with Iran, an Israeli news Web site claims.
The Web site, DEBKAfile.com, says unnamed Israeli sources have told it Olmert complained "bitterly" in a letter that Bush did not forewarn him he would make "strategic steps toward rapprochement with Iran."
U.S. diplomat William Burns was sent by U.S. Secretary Condoleezza Rice to observe negotiations in Geneva last weekend between the United Nations Security Council countries and Iran on demands it freeze its uranium enrichment program in return for a foreign aid package. Some say the United States broke its pledge never to negotiate with Iran by sending Burns to the meeting. The Bush administration denies it.
DEBKAfile.com's source told it Olmert's letter claims Bush had "broken the promises he gave in face-to-face meetings with the prime minister earlier this year" and warned that Iran will have all components necessary to assemble a nuclear weapon by early 2009.
The Web site says its source claims Bush has not responded to the letter.
Hagel defends Obama from attacks
WASHINGTON, July 27 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., Sunday defended presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama from recent political attacks.
Hagel said during an appearance on CBS's "Face the Nation" that U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the likely GOP nominee, was pushing the ethical envelope by questioning the Illinois senator's motivations for opposing the Iraq war.
"I think John is treading on some very thin ground here when he impugns motives, when we start to get into, 'You're less patriotic than me' and 'I'm more patriotic.' I admire and respect John McCain; we talk often. John's better than that," Hagel said.
Hagel also criticized a new McCain campaign advertisement that makes it appear Obama spends more time at the gym than with wounded U.S. troops stationed overseas.
The advertisement also appears to suggest Obama canceled a visit such troops when he was in Germancy once he learned it would not be broadcast.
"He certainly would have been criticized, if, on a political trip, to go and be accused of using our wounded troops as props for his campaign," Hagel said on the CBS news program. "I think it would have been totally inappropriate of him, on a trip financed by campaign funds, to go into a military hospital. Based on what I know; he did the right thing."
Report: Cabinet plotting Brown ouster
LONDON, July 27 (UPI) -- Despite protestations to the contrary, senior Cabinet members are plotting to topple British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, The Sunday Times of London reported.
Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper said Labor Party ministers unhappy with Brown's leadership in the wake of a disastrous by-election loss last week are coalescing behind Justice Minister Jack Straw as a "save the party" replacement for Brown.
Unnamed members of Parliament say some Cabinet members allied to Straw have been meeting to determine how much support he would have as a replacement prime minister and have also been calling other members to lay the groundwork for a possible "autumn coup," the newspaper said.
The Sunday Times said former Home Office Minister George Howarth was helping to lead the effort. Howarth said while party members had to think about its leadership, he denied he was acting on behalf of Straw.
"Jack is not up to anything," he told the newspaper. "If anyone thinks I am collecting names for him, they are mistaken."
